


Tumblr Drabble Compilation (In Preparation For The Great 2018 Purge)

by darknessandrageandkittens



Category: Gravity Falls, Leverage, Mission: Impossible (Movies), Stranger Things (TV 2016), The Flash (TV 2014), Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi, bc i love my friends that's why, just wanna make sure, most of it is for the flash, think i got all the relationships tho to be fair, this is just all my tumblr drabbles compiling bc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-08
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-13 22:26:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16900971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darknessandrageandkittens/pseuds/darknessandrageandkittens
Summary: what it says on the tin my dudeswhole buncha drabbleswait some people don't like being called dude bc dysphoriawhat it says on the tin my people





	1. The Gravity Falls Au

**Author's Note:**

  * For [y'all bitches. ur welcome i'm so sorry](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=y%27all+bitches.+ur+welcome+i%27m+so+sorry).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a dipcifica prompt i did for mags, my dearest

Mason “Dipper” Pines was by no means a tough guy. He accepted this about himself. He loved seventies disco bands. His voice, despite being in his twenties now, cracked and squeaked like an old hinge. He couldn’t grow a full beard.

He was probably the least threatening dude ever.

Dipper just had a hard time convincing other people of that, sometimes. They see the muscles and the bruises and scrapes (he wrestles with supernatural creatures on a regular basis! It’s not like he’s looking for trouble or getting in bar fights!), the knife strapped at his waist (handy in the woods, and blessed by his sister with protective runes carved into the handle), and the tattoos.

Well, ok. The tattoos were kind of badass.

He was always good at art, drawing things. Learning different sigils and seals and runes had come easily for him. It seemed only natural to translate them to ink, to cover himself in protection and safety. Sure, it hurt, and maaaaaybe he cried a little the first (few) times, but it was worth it to know his mind was his, definitely, forever.

Not that Bill would ever come back. He was gone for good. But Bill wasn’t the only monster in the universe, and Dipper always did err on the side of caution. The tattoos swirled over his arms, across his shoulders, some down his back, one on his ankle. They whispered protection and safety and charms through his skin.

He was kinda inordinately proud of them.

After that, it was pretty easy to start doing designs for his friends, or around town. Good way to make some cash. And it was only a small step from that to actually working at the local parlor. It helped that he could spell.

Dipper enjoyed the work. He got to see sides of people he hadn’t expected. Also he knew Robbie had a skull tramp stamp now, which. He will probably snicker about forever. Still, he was a bit surprised when Pacifica Northwest scheduled an appointment with him. 

When he thinks about it, maybe he shouldn’t have been.

She had left her birth family behind a long time ago, and she’d only grown better for it. When she left for law school no one had really expected her to come back, but here she was, poised and collected as ever. Backbone of pure ice. Dressed to, if not the nines, at least the eight-and-a-halfs.

“Sup, loser.”

Pacifica, at least, had never even come close to thinking he was tough.

“Could ask you the same, weirdo.”

She beamed at him, and he pulled her into a quick hug.

“Alright, alright. Careful, Pines, your wrinkle my shirt as bad as your reputation.”

He snorted and squeezed her harder before letting go.

“What, for hugging a pretty girl? If anything, my street cred just rocketed.”

She rolled her eyes and sat in one of the chairs.

“What’s up, man? Didn’t take you for someone who wanted ink.”

“A girl can have layers. And I hear you’re pretty handy with protective stuff. Like. Useful things.”

“Yeah, that’s my specialty. Been talking to Mabel, then?”

“Of course. I told her about some problems I’ve been having at the new place, and she pointed me towards you.”

He nodded and got out his sketchpad.

“Go on.”

Her house had been haunted, and while she performed the exorcism herself, she worried about lingering negative energies that had been affecting her and her work. Bad luck, anxiety, trouble sleeping. She wanted something for good luck and calm, which was probably useful for a lawyer anyway.

“I want something simple, but stylish. And it can’t be anywhere obvious, a lot of rich morons hesitate to hire a female lawyer, especially one with tatts.”

He nodded, jotting down a few concepts and starting a rough sketch.

“Something like this?”

“Yeah, but maybe with a bit more flair?”

Dipper nodded, tweaking the design.

“Perfect.”

He grinned at the praise. It felt good to help out a friend, and getting a compliment from the great Pacifica Northwest was a rare gift. She may have come far from who she used to be, but she still had pretty high standards.

They went over the basics, hashed out the where and the when, and decided to get it done the following week.

“Good seeing you again. Feels like it’s been forever!”

“Dipper. I was literally at your house last weekend. Mabel cheated at Monopoly. When you called her out Waddles started eating the game board.”

“Yeah, but-”

“While you were distracted yelling at the pig Mabel switched all the game pieces and you gave up and started pouting.”

“I wasn’t pouting! I was- I was glowering! Yeah! Glowering! In a very manly, and grown up manner!”

“About a board game.”

His face flushed with embarrassment and she cackled.

“Oh, Dipper. Never change, sweetie.”

“Whatever,” he muttered, pou-glowering. He was glowering.

Pacifica rose from her seat, still grinning.

“I’ll see you around, nerd. Now I gotta go. Your sister promised me free samples and like hell am I missing out on a free mille-feuille.”

“Tell her I say hi.”

She nodded and fluttered her fingers in a wave good-bye out the door.

Pausing, she turned and stared hard at him, head tilted and eyes considering.

“What,” he asked nervously, fingers starting to twitch with his pencil.

“Candy was right. You did get kinda cute.”

He could feel his face heat to a burning red, and tried to stammer out a response as she laughed and left him to his humiliation. Dipper sighed, rubbing his thumb over the rune for focus on his wrist.

And some people thought he was a tough guy.

Ridiculous.


	2. Let's Steal A Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the leverage one i did for anji, my love

“Maybe I’m just crazy,” Eliot drawled from behind the counter, staring at his teammates, “But weren’t there cinnamon rolls on this counter a few minutes ago.”

“Mmmmmnope, I don’t think so man,” Hardison said with a comically straight face, “I think what happened was, you were thinking about cinnamon rolls so much, you imagined making them. That must be it.” Parker grinned and nodded.

“Dammit, Hardison! Ya didn’t even clean up after yourselves, the tin’s still here!”

“Whaaaaaaat! How did that get there?”

“Must’ve been a wizard,” Parker chimed in.

“Really. A wizard.”

“Mmhmm, oh yeah,” she nodded enthusiastically, “An evil wizard that travels through time and space stealing people’s baked goods and leaving only dirty dishes behind. The ultimate evil!”

“First off, you’re not allowed to binge Doctor Who anymore. Second off, I can’t believe you two! I try to make a nice breakfast-I-I was gone for ten damn minutes to take a shower! Did you even leave me any?”

They shrugged.

“Unbelievable. I made those things from scratch, and y-Parker. Parker stop licking your fingers, it’s salt in the wound.”

“We love you, Eliot!”

She beamed as he scowled and stormed off.

“When are we gonna tell him we left him some in the fridge?”

“He’ll figure it out, baby. In the meantime, you need to shower yourself. I mean damn girl, you got that stuff everywhere!”

“They were really good!”

“True. That man has a gift.”


	3. The One Where Darcy Tases The God Of Mischief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> if you ship tasertricks then you can see this as pre-relationship???? i just wanted to write something about how a possible interaction between them would go. Wrote this way before Ragnarok came out. WROTE THIS ONE FOR ME

Darcy let out a small shriek as a tall man suddenly appeared in her kitchenette. Tall, dark and crazy-eyes. Add in the magic and she had a sneaking suspicion she knew who this was.

That and his face had been plastered everywhere after New York.

Loki. Shit.

“You,” he hissed, “Darcy Lewis. Where is Jane Foster?”

Like hell she was giving up Jane. There are some things you can’t go through without becoming best friends and stopping an alien invasion, twice, was one of them. The Avenger had barely stopped the one invasion. Holy shit she was cooler than the Avengers.

“Mortal, I have no time for this! Where is Doctor Foster!”

Right. Crazy alien guy. Because those, strangely, kept happening to her.

Luckily her response time was slightly better. Darcy’s hand had gone for her taser the second he had shown up. She quickly fired it off, only for the god to vanish. 

Someone grabbed her wrist.

“Come now, Miss Lewis,” Loki scowled. “Surely you did not expect me to repeat my brother’s mistakes?”

“Not really,” she said brightly, “But it was worth a shot!”

Her other hand came around and pepper-sprayed him in the face.

He fell screaming on the floor, writhing while clutching his hands to his eyes. Darcy decided to take the opportunity to tase him. He offered less resistance this time.

Groaning, he stood still on the floor as the twitching subsided.

“I didn’t see that coming,” he muttered “How did I not see that coming?”

“None do,” the intern remarked flippantly while shooting a text off to Thor. “Don’t feel to badly about it. Your brother passed out. And you should have seen how bad Reed Richards squirmed.”

There was a pause.

“I thought Richards was one of your precious super heroes.”

“Yeah, well, he was being a dick.”


	4. A Benthan One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Benji gets kidnapped a lot. Fuckin sucks, but, like, it's part of the job  
> wrote this one for sunny, the sweetest boy alive

It wasn’t like Benji tried to get into these situations. It’s just that, well, when it comes down to it, he’s an easy target. He works hard to change that, but when the alternative is to take down Ethan fucking Hunt, it was no surprise that he was the typical evil-would-be-overlord bait.

Honestly at this point he was thinking of making a bingo card.

Tied to a chair with rope, check.

Being kept in a damp, dark room, check.

Having to listen to a droning speech about his inevitable destruction? Well.

“So you see, Agent Dunn, it really is hopeless. Your little friends won’t be here to rescue you. Your precious Agent Hunt has gone AWOL, and soon enough, all my plans will fall into place.”

Benji blinked at the conclusion of what was no doubt a very intimidating, well orchestrated monologue. He fought the urge to yawn.

“Yes, well. Very impressive. I’m very nervous.”

The madman of the month frowned.

“Do you not take me seriously? I could have you killed!”

Benji smiled reassuringly.

“I’m very sure you could! Though personally, I wouldn’t advise it.”

The other man scoffed, bland features forming a picture of disdain. He was physically nondescript, dressed in a decent enough suit. Definitely didn’t have the artistic streak of some. Benji felt faintly disappointed. This man didn’t even have interesting facial hair, or a missing eye, or a scar. All in all, he felt rather let down. After Lane, none of the baddies seemed quite terrifying enough.

“What could possibly stop me?”

Benji perked up.

“Ah. Yes. Well. For one thing, you need me as bait. Can’t do that if I’m dead. Or, well, you could, but it’d be quite tricky. Not to insult your intelligence, of course.”

The man smirked.

“Of course.”

“And for another thing, well, personally, I’m not ready to die. Don’t much like the thought of it.”

“Understandable.”

“Ta. Plus, my cat would go on unfed. My roommate keeps hectic hours.”

“Roommate? Someone to miss you, I take it? Strange, I’d think the IMF would have stricter external fraternization policies than that.”

Benji nodded vigorously, stringing along the conversation.

“Oh, yes, you’re absolutely right of course. We really aren’t encouraged to mingle outside the organization. Quite a security risk.”

“Quite.”

The man seemed amused by Benji’s babbling. A false sense of security always helped.

“Which is why I room with a co-worker. A rather attached one, too, I’m afraid. Clings like a limpet, the darling. Very emotionally invested in my continued survival.”

The man-god, what was his name? John? James? Jeff? Something with a J-frowned, perturbed.

“The reconnaissance didn’t mention a roommate.”

He’d been spying on him. Another for the bingo board.

“Welllllll, he’s discreet. Honestly more of a semi-permanent house guest than a roommate. Not the most secure relationship, but I assure you, the perks are outstanding.”

“Ah. A lover, then. I’ll be sure to send flowers when he gets the news.”

Benji smiled.

“Wouldn’t count on that. Like I said, clings like a limpet. If you thought you were clever, with all the searching you did, getting rid of the tracker in my neck, taking my shoes, imagine how giddy he’s going to be when he figures out I lost the bet.”

The man stepped closer, scowling. He bent over him, face close, breath hot and heavy against his cheek, leaving a vague scent of cinnamon and halitosis.

“And what bet would that be, pray tell, Agent Dunn?”

“Well, I always said that giving me a necklace with a tracer was much too obvious. But he insisted. He’s a bit of a romantic sod, but. It turns out, so am I if it comes down to it. He’d be very, very, very upset if you killed me before he could show up and do his flashy heroics.”

The villain’s face grew very pale, then very red as Benji continued his own monologue.

“He does love to show off. One time, there was this extremely tall building-”

He was cut off by the sharp backhand that cracked across his cheek.

One more cliche and he had bingo.

“Shut up! We’re removing you now, and then, we’ll go somewhere this man will never find you.”

Benji probed his tongue across the inside of his cheek, tasting a hint of copper from where his teeth had torn into it. He let out a small laugh.

“Well, see, I don’t think you understand yet. He’s an ornery bastard.There’s not a place he won’t find me. In fact, if I have the timing right, and I almost certainly do, because, well, bit of a genius, then-”

The dim bulb on the ceiling flashed out, as a distant thumping was heard through the darkness.

“He’s already caught up with us, mate.”

He heard the snarl through the dark, felt the cold metal press against his forehead, breathed slowly.

“Who’s coming? Tell me, or I’ll shoot.”

“I think you already know. But sure, go ahead. He’ll tear you into pieces if you’re lucky.”

“You’re going to die, Agent Dunn. Die by my hands. I swear that to you.”

Benji let out a short, halted laugh.

“What could possibly be so amusing.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just. I got bingo.”

The door to the cellar basement splintered open and harsh bright light pierced through the dark room, temporarily blinding them both. A shot fired and Benji felt blood spray across his face as his captor fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder with a howl of pain. Benji’s eyes squinted at the heroic silhouette, as his rescuer moved down the stairs, smiling.

“Hello, Benji.”

“Ilsa? Where the hell is Ethan?”

Ilsa pouted.

“Are you not happy to see me? I thought we were friends.”

“We are friends. Very good friends. I’d just like to know where the hell my bloody boyfriend is during my rescue op!”

Ilsa sighed.

“He couldn’t make it to this one.”

“Couldn’t make it? To my rescue?”

“Oh, Benji. You get kidnapped every other month. You expect me to believe you’re not out of those bonds already?”

Benji let his hands come from behind, knife already waiting to be used.

“It’s the principle of the matter.”

Ilsa strode the rest of the way down the stairs. She fondly patted Benji’s cheek.

“Ethan really wanted to come, but he broke his leg jumping out of a crashing plane again. I had to drug him to stop him, really. You know how he loves rescuing you. It makes him feel important.”

“He IS important! Rescue sex is the best kind!”

Ilsa waggled her eyebrows.

“Your fiancee would skin me.”

“Alanna is a pussy cat.”

“Yes. With very very sharp claws. I’m not going to risk getting scratched.”

“No rescue kiss, then? He told me it was an important part of the proceedings.”

“How high was he, then?”

Ilsa only grinned, teeth looking disconcertingly sharp.

“Would a peck on the cheek suffice?”

Ilsa hummed thoughtfully, then nodded, tapping her cheek. Benji obliged, then rolled his eyes when she left a reddish purple lip print on his own. Right over the bruise, too.

“Come on, then. Let’s get you back before he wakes up and tries to do something stupid without you.”

“Ethan Hunt is always on the verge of doing something stupid. It’s where he lives.”

Ilsa shrugged, helping Benji up the stairs on legs long fallen asleep from being stuck in one position.

“True. But when you’re there, he has a better chance of coming out the other side.”

“Ilsa, our first official mission together he literally drove a car off a ledge.”

She grinned, closing the door with the still whimpering man inside the basement, crying. Benji could relate, bullet wounds were the worst.

“Would you want him any other way?”

Benji laughed under his breath, leaning on her heavily.

“It’s Ethan. I want him any way I can get him.”

“Gross.”

“It’s love.”

“It’s gross. If I did something stupid and died, Alanna would find a way to bring me back and then torture me for being an idiot and dying on her.”

“Well, you and Morticia can do what you like, Gomez.”

The ride back was short, because Ilsa was driving, and terrifying, because Ilsa was driving. The hospital staff were buzzing about like bees as Benji followed the sound of yelling.

“My BEST FRIEND is out there, having god knows what done to him, and you won’t let me go because of a stupid leg injury?”

“You’re leg is fractured!”

“My heart is fractured! Let me through!”

Ethan was trying to manipulate his way around a very flustered nurse on his crutches. It didn’t help that she had at least 3 inches on him.

Ilsa whistled sharply, drawing his attention to them.

“Ethan. I brought you a get well soon present. Promise to play nice.” And with that, she spun on her sensible loafers and headed for the cafeteria, no doubt to congratulate herself on a rescue mission well done with lukewarm pie.

Ethan grinned hugely, eyes going soft.

“Hey, Benji.”

“I can’t believe you called me your best friend. Was lover too chummy?”

Ethan hobbled forward, ignoring the nurse’s blurted requests.

“Well you are. Both of those things. I’m glad you’re safe. I was about to come get you-”

“Oh, I’m WELL aware of that! Go lay down, you handsome idiot, you’re going to agitate your leg.”

“You think I’m handsome?”

“I’ll break your other one if you don’t march. You’re gorgeous. Now move.”

Beaming, he made his way back into the room. The nurse shot Benji a silent look of gratitude and walked away.

“So. How’d the kidnapping go?”

Benji laughed, settling into the chair beside him.

“Oh, you know. The usual.”


	5. Another Benthan One Yo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one is also benthan  
> and also for sunny!  
> world's fulla coinkydinks   
> this one takes place after fallout so uh  
> spoilers for that????

The drive was mostly silent. There were words, of course, that they could say to each other, to ease this strange new tension, but neither were ready to crack it yet. Not when Benji’s throat was still an ugly dark and mottled thing, when his voice was a painful rasp. Not when Ethan still couldn’t move for long without letting out small gasps of pain. The silent awareness of what they had both lived through (but barely, just barely, always on the very very edge) filled the car until Benji couldn’t take it anymore.

“Where are we going, Ethan?” 

Ethan winced at the sound of his voice, the broken reminder of I-almost-lost-him, then smiled a small smile as he kept driving. 

“Someplace safe, Benji. You’re gonna like it, I promise.”

“Like it more if I knew where it was,” he grumbled, tired from the hours in the car.

“Trust me, it’s a surprise. It’s special. You’re gonna like it,” Ethan reiterated, eyes flicking from the dark road to his fellow agent, huddled in the front seat under a travel blanket and curled up against the window. “We deserve the break.”

Benji let out a hoarse laugh. “You could say that again.”

“Look, it’s gonna be a few more hours. Why don’t you take a nap, huh? Rest.”

Benji muttered mutinously under his breath even as his eyes started to slide closed. Ethan smiled fondly and flicked on the radio, a station softly crooning out half-static hits from an indeterminable time period. They would be there soon enough.

~

The slamming shut of the car door jolted Benji awake with a startled gasp, followed by the baying of dogs. It was dark and cold, and when his door opened the smell of wet grass permeated the air.

“Hey,” Ethan called softly, “You awake? Sorry about the dogs, they’ll calm down in a minute. I’m just gonna get everything into the house and then we can go to bed, ok?”

“Ethan? Where-where’re we?” Sleep slurred his words together as Benji blinked blearily into the light of the overhead dash. Ethan grinned.

“Benjamin Dunn, welcome to my farm.”

“Yer. Wha?”

Ethan laughed lightly then winced, gingerly pressing his ribs.

“Technically, it was my parent’s farm. But since Mom passed away, the place is mine. It’s quiet here. No one knows about it. It’s safe. It’ll be good for us.”

Ethan grabbed Benji’s arm to help him down out of the truck, muttering to himself.

“It’ll be good for us.”

“You’re gonna tell me about this in the morning.”

“Of course. Everything. I have a lot to show you.”

Benji hummed a response and nodded. 

“But first, I think we should both get to bed, yeah?”

“Yeah. Bed is good.”

Stumbling, exhausted, the pair of them made their way into the large farmhouse and onto the large bed in the downstairs bedroom.

“Ethan, you gotta. Take your pants off. Shouldn’t sleep in your jeans.”

Ethan let out a prolonged groan before kicking off his shoes and fumbling off the jeans, covered in road dust and grimy from travel. Benji slumped beside him and started giggling.

“What is it?”

“Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to go the fuck to sleep-”

“Mission accepted. Please don’t wake me up unless someone’s about to kill you.”

“What if they try to kill you?”

“I could use the rest.”

Benji scoffed and shoved him lightly, careful of his chest, before yawning and slumping on to his side.

“Good night, Agent Hunt.”

“Sweet dreams, Agent Dunn.”

They weren’t, but that wasn’t exactly a surprising change.

~

Benji woke up first for once, and left Ethan snoring softly to look out the porch at the dew covered land around him. There was a large barn, several trees, and acres of field. Already he could hear the sounds of restless animals starting to wake up and move around, hungry.

He jumped when Ethan’s arm slung it’s way across his shoulders, jaw cracking on a yawn.

“Whaddya think?”

Benji sighed and leaned into him gently, absorbing some of the warmth through the early morning chill.

“You’re right. I think I’m gonna like this.”

Ethan smiled and pulled him in closer through a wince, pressing a kiss up against his forehead, and something inside him settled.

Okay, he thinks. We’re gonna be okay.


	6. Reversevibe (The Return Of The Mack)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one's for cas  
> is it problematic?  
> yeah  
> did i still write it and post it tho?  
> lol yeah  
> wrote this one after the s3 finale  
> i was high on cold medicine. just. so much cold medicine. tbh i barely remember writing it?  
> this sounds like i'm making excuses. i'm not

It had taken Eobard an eternity to do it, but he had. Atom by atom, cell by cell, he had clawed his way back into existence on sheer willpower and stubbornness alone. He hadn’t fully been prepared for what awaited him.

Barry was gone. His old foe had sacrificed himself, it seemed, to atone for his plethora of failings and mistakes. Thawne almost felt a twinge of nostalgic regret. Almost.

Perhaps that was what had let Eobard reform. Perhaps not. Either way, he’d dragged himself out of the speed force and he wasn’t going back for anyone. Not that it had done much. Eternity, he discovered, was actually the span of a few months, and yet somehow in those months everything had changed.

There were new speedsters now, younger, stronger. Caitlin was gone, no doubt trying to learn more about the frost that spread through her veins. A new Harrison Wells had seemingly attempted to take his place (and how that had come about, Thawne would give a lot to know. This Wells’ attempts to guide were laughable at best). The only people left for him, it seemed, were the Flash’s precious West family, and-

“Earth-1 to Evil Dead, you alive in there? Not that I care, mind you. Feel free to shuffle off this mortal coil, or whatever. Again.”

Cisco.

“As charming as the thought is, Cisco, I’ve had my fill of dying for a good long while.”

“Uh-huh.”

Cisco stood outside his cell in the Cortex, looking distinctly unimpressed.

“If you wanted to let me go, however, I assure you, neither hide nor hair of me would bother your charmingly dysfunctional little family unit again.”

Lies. The Flash may be gone, but Eobard had other investments here, ones he would not leave behind to mere chance or the protection of this laughable team. Even if they did roll their eyes about it.

Cisco scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s not happening buddy. Nice try, though. Well, actually, no. Not a very nice try. Barely a token effort, really-”

“Cisco.”

“Which is weird, because, like, I’m pretty sure you could actually escape these cells if you tried. If you wanted to. Do you want to? How’d you even-”

“Cisco.”

Eobard tried not to feel slightly hurt at the flinch his former protege displayed.

“My apologies, Cisco. I didn’t mean to snap. I forget, sometimes, how sensitive you can be.”

“Sensitive my sculpted ass. I’m not the one who tried to murder a baby because of my inferiority complex.”

It was a defensive barb, but damn if it didn’t still sting. Eobard felt a snarl cross his face despite his resolution to play nicely, to regain trust.

“I’m not the one who killed your brother trying to reverse it, either.”

Cisco looked stricken. He shook his head.

“No. No, you of all people don’t get to bring that up. And unless you’ve forgotten, you killed me!”

“In an alternate timeline where I had no other choice!”

“How do you know! How do you know you had no other choice, you don’t even remember it!”

“Because it’s you, Cisco. There’s no other reason I would have to kill you. That was never part of my plans.”

“No, you were just gonna let a wormhole kill us all.”

It was Eobard’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Please. If Barry hadn’t taken so much time deciding to ruin my life instead of save his own, which, he ended up changing his mind about that later anyways, there wouldn’t have been a wormhole.”

“You’re still so quick to pin everything on Barry.”

“Because everything was his fault.”

Eobard slammed his hands on the glass, teeth bared in barely suppressed rage as he glared hard into his one time employee’s face. He had to make him see that somehow, prove to him that his precious Flash wasn’t the hero everyone said he was, that he was flawed, that he was broken.

Cisco didn’t look convinced. He looked sad, and hurt. Every instinct in Eobard’s body whispered to soothe it, smooth away all the confusion and anxiety until he was happy and smiling again. Even after all that had happened between them, he wanted to tie him irrevocably closer, to ensure his happiness. 

Eobard had stopped trying to fight that instinct long before he had given Barry his powers.

“Cisco,” he muttered, tired, “Why are you here. What do you need.”

Whatever it was, he would give it to him. If only to make him smile for a second. To start rebuilding an inkling of the trust he and this man used to share.

For the first time of the evening, Cisco looked as lost and unsure as he felt. No righteous anger, no pain or frustration, just a confused longing.

Eobard’s curiosity slid down his spine, straightening his posture and cocking his head. The predatory rage that consumed him watched in rapt attention, sensing vulnerability.

“I don’t know. I guess. With Barry gone, and Caitlin-wherever she is, and. You’re the only one left.”

Ah.

“From the beginning. You and me, we’re the only one’s left. How fucked up is that? It’s been three years, and you killed me, and you’re still the only one I can talk to about this?”

“Not that fucked up, surely. I may have killed you in an alternate timeline, but Barry killed your brother in this one.”

“He-”

“We both know which one bothers you more.”

He shrugged, scowling at the floor. Eobard felt a pang of frustration at Cisco’s utter inability to see his worth, even after all this time, but unfortunately it was proving useful. 

“And if I had to pick a survivor, Cisco. I’m glad it’s you.”

He laughed darkly.

“The sad thing is I believe you.”

“Of course you do. What reason would I have to lie.”

Eobard thinks, for a moment, about telling Cisco everything. About the Spear of Destiny, and how when the literal powers of a god were handed to him, he still ended up right here. Working in STAR Labs with his teams. Doing science, enjoying the camaraderie of so many beautifully brilliant minds. But if he said it now, he knew, he would be playing his cards too early. Cisco would see it as an attempt at manipulation.

“So here we are.”

“As you say.”

“Give me one good reason not to Vibe you into the center of an active volcano.”

“Can you do that? I’m impressed Cisco, your abilities are improving at a remarkable rate!”

“Shut up!”

But he couldn’t hide the mild flush the praise still brought to his cheeks, even after all this time.

“And to answer your question, Cisco, for one thing I would probably survive. For another, you need me.”

His entire body shut down, face slamming closed and refusing to show any expression. It was only to be expected, but a small part of Eobard had hoped Cisco would accept the truth.

“What.”

“You. Need. Me. I’m the only one who knows everything about your abilities, the only one who can help you train to your highest potential.”

Cisco glared.

“You just said-”

“You’re learning quickly, yes, I know, far more quickly than I could even expect, and for that I apologize, Cisco. The rest of the world may underestimate you but I never thought I would. Forgive me. But as quickly as you’re progressing, I assure you, with my help you could go so much faster.”

He looked off balance. Good.

“What is it with you and going faster, anyway? Ever hear of the tortoise and the hare? Slow and steady wins the race, asshole.”

“It’s not just about speed, Cisco, it’s about control. It’s about power. Who better to help you train in the gifts I gave you than the bestower?”

“Hmm. Try literally any other person on Earth. Or any Earth, for that matter.”

But he was uncertain, Thawne could tell. He always could read his boy like a lab report. He tried to keep his desperation firmly wrapped under his skin, to not let his eagerness show.

“Cisco,” he crooned, soft, gentle, always so gentle and he couldn’t scare him off now, “Cisco, you’ve got so much potential. You’ve helped so many people, but imagine how many more you could save. Cities. Entire worlds.”

His mouth went slightly slack, his eyes unfocused, already seeing the people he could rescue, already counting the cost of selling his soul.

“We could accomplish so much together, Cisco. Everyone else is gone, but I’m still right here. I’m still going to help you.”

“Why,” he whispered, voice only slightly broken by traces of salt clinging to the corners of his eyes, “Why do you care? Why are you here?”

“Because you need me. I’m always here when you need me, aren’t I?”

He nodded almost shamefully.

“Cisco. Let me help you.”

He nodded again.

“Open the door.”

Cisco froze, hand already half stretched to the keypad.

“Open the door, Cisco. Everything will be alright.”

He still hesitated.

“Cisco, I promise. You’re safe.”

That seemed to be the final straw. Gasping for air, he slammed his fist on the release and fell to his knees.

Slowly, cautiously, Eobard stepped out of his cage. Cisco stared at the floor resolutely, an empty acceptance emanating from his half hunched over body. Eobard regarded him curiously.

“Do it already,” Cisco croaked out. “I won’t fight you.”

At first he was confused, then comprehension dawned. He felt a rush of anger and affection, tied together in an infuriating and familiar way. What had these people done to his protege?

“So melodramatic, Cisco. This other Wells has been a bad influence on you. Alright, if you insist.”

He slunk forward to the softly crying wreck. He lowered himself to the floor and dragged him in to a firm embrace. Softly, ran his hand over his head, through his hair, calming motions.

“What-”

“The first thing we’re going to have to work on,” Thawne pointedly spoke over him, “Is your utterly ridiculous self worth issues. You’re exceptional, Cisco, it’s time you started to believe that. You need to stop throwing yourself into harm’s way just because you think you deserve it. I’ve known many worthless, utterly exhausting, terrible people. And you, Cisco Ramon, are not one of them.”

“Why didn’t you leave? You got what you wanted, just go!”

“What I want,” Eobard mused, eyes running over his face. “No, I don’t think I have it quite yet. Besides. I’m not like the others, Cisco. I haven’t abandoned you yet, and I don’t plan to start now. Although.”

“W-what.”

He frowned.

“You thought I was going to kill you.”

Cisco shrugged.

“And you still opened the door. That kind of behavior can’t go neglected, Cisco.”

Cisco’s eyes widened in alarm and he started to pull out of his arms.

Eobard only held tighter.

“Cisco, Cisco, Cisco, relax. Calm down, hurting you has never been my priority. On the contrary, I want to help you. I want to give you the world. I want to see you flourish, same as I always have.”

Cisco’s breathing evened, still receptive to his mentor’s affection after all the time and blood between them.

“But after that, I can’t just hand it over. You need someone to help you, Cisco. You still need my help.”

“Yes.”

“I was going to give it freely. Now, though. Now you have to ask for it.”

Cisco stiffened.

“Go ahead, Vibe. Ask the big bad for help.”

“Please oh please, would you not be a dick and help me save the world.”

Eobard hummed consideringly.

“Not bad, but not what I was going for.”

Cisco sighed, irritation huffing in his tone.

“What do you want, Eobard.”

He tamped down the reaction to hearing his name, finally, after so long, from Cisco’s mouth.

“You,” he admitted, still giddy from hearing his own name. “I want you to tell me.”

“Tell you what? That’s you’re a dick? That your stupid yellow body suit washes out your skin tone? Gladly.”

“Cisco,” he warned, despite his smile at the teasing. He had missed the playful banter (not the suit comment though. Yellow was his color and is Cisco couldn’t see that, well then.)

“What do you want.”

“You need me. Say it.”

“What?”

Eobard buried his face in his hair, letting the scent wash over him as he swallowed his pride and bared the small soft, weak part of him to the only one left on this Earth who mattered.

“Tell me, Cisco,” he whispered into his ear, “Tell me you need me.”

A part of him expected resistance. He expected pride, stubbornness, disgust. To be fought off and re-caged.

“Yeah, ok,” Cisco muttered, surrendering as easy as you please. “I need you, Thawne. I kind of always have.”

His grip tightened dangerously as he tried to control his reaction to the admission.

“Very good.”

He pressed a gentle kiss into the flowing curls. He doubted Cisco had even noticed.

“You’ve got me.”

“And when I tell you to go?”

“I’ll go.” Lie. He wouldn’t leave again.

“And if I decide to leave?”

He swallowed hard.

He had already lied twice. In for a penny, in for a pound.

“You can leave anytime you like.”

Lies.

Cisco relaxed into his arms, accepting everything.

“Yeah, ok. You’re still a jerk.”

“Incurably so.”

Whatever lies he had told, this was worth it.


	7. Also Reversevibe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this is also reversevibe  
> and wouldncha know it  
> also for cas  
> this one is pre-season one so  
> sllllllightly less creepy?  
> or more creepy?  
> who knows dude i just wrote it  
> i wasn't even high for this one

Eobard wandered through the labs, checking the progress of his accelerator. He adjusted equations, tightened designs, and patiently, slowly, so goddamn slowly, guided his desperately under-qualified staff toward the unfolding of his machinations. With a small grin, he came to Cisco’s lab. Knocking gently on the door post, he waited for the young engineer to acknowledge him. 

Looking up from his project, Cisco greeted his mentor with a bright smile.

“Dr. Wells! Making rounds?”

He couldn’t help the smile that grew in response.

“That I am. Though I doubt you need guidance so much as some of your co-workers, Cisco.”

He flushed lightly under the praise, beckoning Eo deeper into the room.

“Ok, so I’ve been working on that project you gave me, looking into tachyon particles, right?”

He nodded, joining Cisco by his workbench and looking over some of his concepts. Cisco may not know it, but he was helping him get stronger than ever. Eobard couldn’t help but be impressed by the schematics, looking them over as Cisco babbled nervously about the different parts and, of all things, the color scheme. Despite himself, a warm fondness flooded him, tempered slightly with longing. The things this man could do, with the right tools, in the right time…He was vastly apart from his true potential in these conditions.

Regardless, his protege would have to make do, as Eobard himself had done these past years. Cisco’s tirade started to wind down, tone taking on hesitance as if noticing Eobard’s absent train of thought.

“Dr. Wells?”

Smiling, Eobard placed his hands on Cisco’s shoulders.

“Outstanding work, as always. Honestly I don’t know why I bother checking in on you, sometimes, Cisco, you seem to require my help the least among your peers.”

Cisco had stilled under his palms, and now he laughed nervously as his eyes glanced away and his cheeks turned a deeper red, trailing his throat.

Interesting.

“I mean it Cisco. With a bit more practice, I could see you running a lab of your own some day. You’d probably give me a run for my money, too.”

His face took on a solemn earnestness.

“You’d have to kill me first, Dr. Wells.”

A surprised laugh punched out of him, and he ran his hands down Cisco’s shoulders until he was grasping his arms lightly. Nothing too untoward, but still painfully familiar.

“I doubt that will be necessary. Keep up the good work, Cisco.” With that, he turned to leave him to his work.

“Um, sir?”

Eobard halted and turned to look back.

“What is it, Cisco?”

He looked nervous, playing idly with his hands.

“It’s alright, I won’t be upset.”

That seemed to settle his resolve.

“What exactly am I making this for, sir? I’ve tried to think about how it’s relevant, but I just…”

Eobard held up his hand.

“I understand. You want to know what the machine does. Why I asked you to make it.”

Cisco nodded, seemingly relieved. Eobard sighed.

“I truly wish I could tell you, Cisco. It pains me not to. Unfortunately, it’s classified.”

Eobard was shocked to realize a part of it is true. He really does wish he could reveal everything, his plan, his identity, his powers, that he could ask for help without subterfuge. He wishes he could believe Cisco would help him anyway, would promise to assist him in any way he could.

Eobard has never been stupid.

Cisco had a surprising look of bitterness on his face.

“It has something to do with General Eiling, doesn’t it.”

Eobard takes the explanation with grace.

“I’m afraid so. Not a big fan of our military sponsors, are you?”

He shook his head, looking slightly like he had been sucking on a lemon.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

Cisco’s eyes brightened at the implied trust. He nodded.

“Neither am I.”

“Then why do you work with those assholes?”

The words seemed to have taken Cisco by surprise, blurted out in a fit of emotion.

“We need the funding for our real project, Cisco. Like it or not, the government loves to waste tax dollars on weapons and defense. Yes, Eiling is a detestable ape of a man, to say the least.”

Cisco snorted, humor re-entering his expression and posture lightening.

“But he has money. And unfortunately, the particle accelerator isn’t going to build itself for free.”

“I understand,” Cisco muttered, still seeming perturbed.

“Oh, Cisco. I don’t like it any more than you do, I promise. But for now, at least, do you promise to trust me?”

His eyes shot up in shock.

“Of course!”

The warm, fond pride returned in waves. A grin returned despite himself. He really was something special, and Eobard had his undying loyalty. God, he would miss this.

“Then trust me when I say that by the time all this is over, Eiling and his disturbing idiosyncrasies will be the least of our problems.”

Cisco nodded, seemingly soothed. Eobard resisted the urge to draw him into a hug, to smooth his hair. This really was becoming quite problematic. Even more frustrating, he was certain his advances would be welcomed. He was running out of reasons not to pursue.

“Thank you Dr. Wells. I’m sorry for questioning you.”

“If you didn’t question me, Cisco,” he responded gently, “Then I’m afraid I wouldn’t think much of you at all. As a man, or as a scientist.”

Unable to stop himself, he let on of his hands return to Cisco’s shoulder.

“Luckily for us,” he continued, “You are who you are, and I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for you. Your talent, or your instincts. If you have any more questions, or feel off about anything, please, don’t hesitate to talk to me. My doors are always open to you, Cisco. At any time.”

He gave his shoulder a final, lingering squeeze, feeling the skin start to warm beneath his palm, then released him and turned again to go. Cisco stumbled out an assurance that he would, flustered and slightly glassy eyed, high on the praise. Eobard covered a smirk and left him to his work.

He always enjoyed his check ups at the labs.


	8. The Strangest Thing Is Why These Two Haven't Hooked Up Yet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> jopper  
> wrote this one for mags  
> fan of the ship, and i like how this one turned out  
> but wait champ, you say  
> does that mean you don't like how some of these other drabbles turned out  
> lol nonya

Joyce was trying very hard not to laugh at the sight before her. She had come by to drop off some comic books Ele-Jane. Jane had asked to borrow, but she hadn’t been completely prepared to walk in on the respected town sheriff getting a makeover from his daughter.

His…heavily mascara-ed eyes widened in shock and he started to rise off the sofa, only to be telekinetically slammed back into place by his daughter. 

“No moving, Daddy. You’ll make it messy.”

Jim winced.

“Ah, Jane. Honey. We have a guest. Don’t you think we might wanna take a break?”

Jane paused at his imploring and turned to look at Joyce, a quizzical expression on her face.

“Oh, no, sweetie. Don’t stop on my account.”

Jane grinned and returned to smearing foundation all over his face. Hopper shot her a look of betrayal and dismay before settling back into a blank expression so as not to put off Jane’s hard work.

“Blue eyeshadow, huh Hop?”

Jane nodded. “It’s bitchin’.”

“Can’t argue with that, kid.”

“No talking.”

He flailed his arms in exasperation before sullenly sitting still and letting her continue. Jane looked at Joyce, then offered her the rouge palette.

“Ooo, go for pink, sweetie.”

Jane nodded and began swirling it across his cheeks before sitting back and admiring her handiwork.

“You’ve never looked better, Hop.”

He fluttered his eyelashes at her.

“Am I pretty enough to take to the Snow Ball?”

Joyce tilted her head and put a finger to her chin.

“Hmmmmmmmm.”

She winked at a snickering Jane.

“Nope.”

Jim gasped in mock offense before turning to Jane, mocking a coquettish face.

“What do you think? Will anyone dance with me?”

Jane tried to look somber as she shook her head.

“Not pretty, Daddy,” she choked out past restrained laughter.

He gasped in shock, flopping backwards on the sofa dramatically.

“Woe is me. Doomed to another year of riding the bleachers while all the pretty girls dance with the football team.”

Jane rolled her eyes and they all laughed. Remembering why she came, she handed the plastic bag of comics of to Jane. She beamed at her and ran into her room to read them. The door slammed behind her as her focus quickly became otherwise occupied. Jim sighed.

“We have to work on not slamming doors.”

He groaned as he pulled himself up into a sitting position and turned to make room for Joyce. As she sat down he offered her a cigarette before lighting one of his own.

“I oughtta quit,” he muttered. “Can barely keep up with the kid as it is.” Joyce hummed an assent. “And it might get Flo off my ass about the donuts.”

“If Flo had her way, you’d live forever and look like David Hasselhoff.”

Jim looked considering. “Come to think of it…”

Joyce punched his shoulder, laughing. He grinned.

“Seriously, though. About all this.” She circled her hand in front of her face. Hopper groaned, grabbing a rag and starting to wipe the makeup off his face.

“She has to practice on someone, and it’s not like she’s gotta bunch of little girlfriends,” he started to defend himself.

“No, no, no, I get it. I was just wondering if this has anything to do with the rumors running around town that our distinguished defender of the law has started wearing nail polish.”

Hopper winced.

“She gets me while I’m sleeping and I don’t notice till I’m already in the station. Honestly, at this point I’m thinking of keeping a vial of remover in my desk.”

She laughed again. “I’m surprised you don’t make her stop.”

“Nah, it makes her happy. Gives her something to do. It’s boring as hell in here all day, even with the tv. If this is the worst I gotta deal with, then hey, I’m a damned lucky guy. Thanks for bringing those comics over, by the way. Maybe my fair complexion will be safe for a few days.”

“It’s no problem, Jim. Speaking of though, I should probably head back home soon.”

“You gotta? Cheers is coming on soon, and I wouldn’t mind some adult company for watching with. Some of the jokes go over Jane’s head.”

She paused, considering.

“Oh, what the hell.” She settled back into the couch, leaning against him comfortably. Either he hadn’t gotten all the rouge off his cheeks, or he was starting to blush.

“You’re one hell of a guy, Hop.”

He was definitely blushing.

“Any Dad woulda done it.”

Not Lonnie, she wanted to say. Even if they had girls, she couldn’t see him sitting patiently letting them make his face up. It was probably lucky they had only had boys, even if a small part of Joyce still wanted a little girl. Mothering Jane was close enough.

Jim seemed to catch on to her thinking, and jostled her with his shoulder.

“Any Dad worth shit woulda done it.”

She snorted.

“I still stand by it. You’re a hell of a guy.”

“Yeah, well,” he seemed flustered. “You’re not so bad yourself, Joyce.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as the Cheers theme started to play. It was tentative and unobtrusive, leaving her feeling warm and solid. If she told him to stop, he would. She knew.

She let the arm stay.


	9. The Beginning Of The Harrisco Flood My Peeps (vampires and stuff in this one)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> now i'm just thinkin about marshmallow peeps  
> damn  
> anyway i wrote this for harriscofest 2017  
> first harrisco i ever wrote by the by  
> (lbr this one was for cas)

Cisco took a deep, calming breath as the van pulled up to the old, seemingly abandoned Victorian-style house. The late autumn leaves blew in the fading dusk light, doing nothing to detract from it’s overall unsettling aura. That uneasiness that pervaded the air surrounding the seemingly dilapidated dwelling was why he was here.

He clicked on his dictaphone and began speaking.

“As I pulled into the driveway of the creepy-ass house, I asked myself. Why is it always Victorians? Do ghosts just like them better? Why can’t they ever haunt, like, a luxury condo? I will ask one if this place turns out as haunted as the locals say.”

With that he got out and began unpacking his ghost hunting equipment. If he made enough to hire an assistant, his job would be way easier, but as it was Cisco Ramon was a man alone. A tragic hero, if you will, standing between the paranormal and humanity itself, seeking out the dark figures that spread unrest. Solitary, he roamed the country, in constant pursuit of-

A sudden wail cut off what he was sure was one of his best internal monologues yet. Startled, he almost dropped his EMF meter.

“Hey!” he snapped at the house, “I built this stuff myself, and if I break it because you feel like being an asshole, I will go ghostbusters on you!”

The wailing ceased and silence reigned heavily, a sense of amused anticipation filling the air.

“Alright then,” Cisco muttered, clicking on his camcorder and walking up the messy porch. He lifted his hand to knock on the door, only for it to creak open ominously. Rolling his eyes, he stepped inside. The door slammed shut behind him, and he tried not to jump.

“Hello?“ he called out, then immediately cursed himself for being a horror movie cliche. He was a professional, dammit. “My name is Francisco Ramon. If there is a presence in this house, please make yourself known.”

A high pitched giggle filled the air, sending shivers down his spine. 

“The entity is playful, possibly a child,” he muttered. 

“Hey!” came a voice from above him, “I’m 23! Or, well. I was.”

He looked up to see an apparition floating above his head, arms crossed over her chest and a put out expression on her face.

“Sorry,” he offered, shooting her a placating grin.

Her face changed to one of shock.

“You…You can see me?“

“Yeah, dude.”

She stared at him for a moment, face contorting into a plethora of emotions. More than anything, he saw longing.

“It’s been so long,” she whispered, floating down closer to him, hands stretching out towards his face. “You can see me!”

Cisco just nodded. This wasn’t unusual when meeting specters for the first time.

A sudden clattering came from upstairs, making him jump. The ghost paused, seemingly shaken out of her trance-like fascination. 

A sound like footsteps thudded their way across the ceiling.

“Who’s that?“ Cisco asked, eyes trained upwards to follow the sound.

The ghost seemed almost sheepish, laughing nervously.

“That would be my dad.”

“Your what?”

The footsteps stopped at the head of the stairs. A tall figure loomed in the shadows, two twin glints of light glaring through the darkness at him. For a second everything was frozen still. No one moved. No one breathed. Then, in a blink, Cisco found himself glaring up into the face of a snarling man with- shit, were those fangs-trying his hardest to grasp what had just happened.

“How the hell did you get into my house?” the mother fucking vampire, apparently, growled.

“Th-the door opened itself!”

“Impossible. I locked it myself this morning.” His fangs glistened as he spoke, face to close for Cisco’s comfort.

“L-look, man, if you have some home renovations needed take it up with your door. All I’m saying is I just walked in here, no problem!”

His eyes were locked on the man’s teeth, fear coiled low in his gut as he stammered his way through an explanation.

The vampire sighed, hands dropping from where they were bunching Cisco’s shirt in his fists.

“Jesse,” he muttered tiredly. The exhausted frustration made him seem almost human.

“Who’s Jesse?“ he asked.

“Me,” came a voice in his ear. The ghost girl.

“Oh, so your name isn’t Casper, then?“ She snorted and rolled her eyes, making him grin.

“Wait.” Ice formed on his spine as the cold voice snapped out, and honestly, Cisco, you forgot about the motherfucking vampire?

He turned back to the man, trying to cover his nervousness.

“You.” the creature paused. He seemed torn, desperate. “You can see her.”

“Yeeeeaaaahhh?“ 

“You can see my daughter.”

“Comes with being a psychic, bro.”

The vampire grimaced in distaste at the moniker before refocusing his eyes on Cisco. He seemed zoned, almost, all of his energy directed on observation, watching him. Cisco felt like a bug under a microscope, or a deer that looks up and suddenly thinks ‘hey, was that tiger always there?’. Why did a vampire need glasses, anyway.

“Prove it,” the creature whispered. “Tell me what she looks like.”

Cisco almost tells him to fuck off, but his face is broken. What should be a command almost sounds like pleading. He can’t see her, Cisco realizes. 

“Ok,” he mutters, strangely trying to be comforting. “Ok. She’s got, uh, brown hair. Kinda on the small side.” Jesse flips him off, grinning. He grins back. “A better sense of humor than her dad, apparently. She’s got your eyes, so, uh, congrats on that I guess. And she was 24 when she. You know, kicked it.” He winces internally.

“23,” they both correct in unison, almost absently. They’re both staring at him now, almost hungrily. Which. Probably not a great expression to be getting from a member of the undead.

“Jesse,” the vampire whispers.

“Dad,” she whispers back.

“Jesse, can you hear me? I’m so sorry, sweetie. I’m so-” his voice cracks, and he’s gasping, words trying to form sentences and failing. He glares at Cisco. “Tell her,” he growls. “Tell her.”

“She can hear you,” he tries his best to sound soothing. “Trust me.”

Jesse has tears running down her cheeks.

“Tell him I forgive him. Please, you have to tell him, I’ve been trying, but he can’t-Dad, please, it’s ok, it’s fine, I know, please-” The house begins to shake with her emotional turmoil. She began to glow as her sobs turned to wails. Panicking, Cisco grabbed his hand. This worked sometimes with humans, maybe-

The vampire (shit, he really had to learn this guy’s name) gasped. Cisco let out an internal sigh of relief. It didn’t always work, and he had to concentrate. But-

“Jess?“ His voice was a quiet broken thing.

“Daddy.” Her sobs were subsiding. They simply stared at each other. This family seemed big on staring.

“It was my fault.”

“No.”

“Yes! I’m your father, and I never should have let this happen.”

Jesse snorted, wiping her eyes roughly with her sleeves. “You didn’t let anything happen, dad. I was murdered. There was nothing you could do.”

Well, Cisco thought, that explains why her presence was so strong. Violent deaths usually were.

“I shou- I should have been there. I should have been able to stop it, I should have been strong enough!”

“Dad,” she scoffed, “I love you, but come on. There was nothing you could do. And it’s ok! It’s ok, I promise. Because now, we can be together. Forever. Just like you wanted in the first place. A family.”

“Not like this,” he muttered. “I never wanted it to happen like this.”

Silence grew between them, heavy with regret.

“Ooooookay,” Cisco broke through the tension. “Not that I am not, you know, super happy for you guys, but uh. Can I go now?“

The vampire looked at him, seemingly having forgotten the man despite his limpet grip on his hand. Confusion turned quickly to amusement.

“Leaving so soon? We haven’t even had a bite to eat yet. I just woke up, and I have to say.” He leaned in closer to Cisco, sharp smile gracing his features. “I am famished.”

Cisco gulps. His eyes track the movement, pupils dilating. 

Jesse groans in the background.

“Oh my god, Dad. Seriously? Vampire puns?“

He straightens, grin looking less predatory and more amused.

Cisco is starting to get emotional whiplash here.

~~~

The vampire, it tuns out, is named Harrison. Once you get past what a colossal dick he is, he’s actually not so bad.

Cisco digs his fork back in the reheated chinese take out.

“You know,” he mumbles through the noodles, “This isn’t what I thought you meant when you said ‘having a bite’.”

Harry shrugs, sipping blood out of an old chipped mug that says World’s Suckiest Dad.

“Not my fault you misconstrued my efforts at hospitality. And don’t talk with your mouth full, Ramon.”

Cisco sticks his tongue out at him, because he can. He rolls his eyes.

“Seriously though. I’m still a little confused by the whole vampire thing.”

“And here you struck me as something of an intellect. What’s there to be confused about?“

“I mean, how does it work.”

“Magic. Seriously, Ramon?“

“What? Everything I know about vampires, I learned from watching Lost Boys.”

“Lost Boys,” Harry scoffed, before tilting his head back to get the last few drops of blood.

“Yes, Harry. Lost Boys. Keifer Sutherland, teenage vampires on the boardwalk, it was a classic.”

“You’re eating worms.”

“Yes exact-” He paused, fork halfway to his mouth, when his dinner started…wriggling. He let out a small shriek and dropped the container, scooting back. Harrison, the dick, started laughing.

“Ugh, you asshole.”

“Yes, Ramon, I know what Lost Boys is. I’m dead, not completely out of touch with the world.”

“Coulda fooled me,” Jesse muttered from the corner. Cisco laughs.

Harry’s face turned wistful.

“What did she say?“

“Says you coulda fooled her.”

He snorts and rolls his eyes. “Sounds like her.”

“Yeah. Hey, if dinner is done, I really do have to-” Harrison is standing behind him, offering his hand.

“Of course. Just let me escort you to your…” he looks out the window at the beat up old van in his driveway. “Vehicle.”

“Hey, now, no hating on the van. I practically live in that thing, it’s my baby.”

Harry’s lip curls in mild distaste. “To each their own,” he says delicately.

Like he doesn’t live in the Addam’s Family’s abandoned summer home. Asshole.

“He’s already judging your life choices. You’re practically family!” Jesse sounds almost giddy. Cisco grins and tries not to let her words affect him.

“See you around, Casper.” He finds he means it. She flips him off.

“If she flipping you off.”

“Yup.”

“That’s my girl.”

They both wait outside for a second, lingering in the cool night air. The stars are twinkling above their heads.

“Cisco. Thank you.”

This is the first time Harry’s actually said his name. Cisco tries to play it cool.

“No sweat, Nosferatu.”

Harry chuckles, looking down at the grass.

“You don’t know, do you? What a gift you are. I’ve lived for years in that house, haunted by my own daughter, unable to reach out, and you just…Walk in. Cisco.”

He looks at his face, everything about him tailored to look gentle, nonthreatening. Everything but the eyes. They still burn with hunger.

“H-harry.” He tells himself he didn’t trip over the name.

“Thank you.”

His hands come up to touch Cisco’s face, thumbs stroking his cheeks with something like reverence. His lips part ever so slightly at the sensation. Harry’s eyes catch it.

“You, uh. You might wanna go have another mug of blood, there Harry. You’re still looking pretty thirsty.” 

The sharp grin returns, and hello horrausal.

“I’m a vampire, Cisco. I’m always thirsty.”

Suddenly his eyes close and he lets his forehead drop on Cisco’s shoulder.

“Ramon.” His voice sounds slightly annoyed, muffled by Cisco’s shirt.

“Harry.”

“My daughter is making faces at us through the window.”

Cisco craned his neck, and yep. Jesse waved at him before going back to sticking her tongue out and fake retching. Charming. He laughs lightly, waving back.

“Yes she is.”

“I changed my mind. I can go another decade without seeing her again.”

“Blatant lies, Wells.”

Harry groans before standing upright. Cisco convinces himself he didn’t notice him sniffing him.

“Fine. I guess you’ll just have to come back then.”

Cisco leans against the side of the van and peered up at him through the dark, the picture of nonchalance.

“Guess I will.”

He smiles then turns and walks back to the house. Cisco climbs into his van and heads down the long driveway.

“Guess I will,” he repeats quietly to himself.

When he gets home he realizes his camcorder is missing.

Assholes.


	10. Takin A Break (this one's harrisco too. tbh the rest of em from hereon out are likely to be harrisco until i start adding more again)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> harry and cisco are like  
> people  
> non-speedster people  
> surrounded by speedsters  
> that's gotta be exhausting

It was a Thursday afternoon when Cisco decided he needed a vacation or he was going to crack. They had just defeated the bad guy of the week, and he was exhausted. 

He sat in his workshop, head resting on the workbench to absorb the cool surface. He could faintly hear the celebratory sounds of Wally, Barry, and Jesse trying their best to get drunk after a job well done.

God, it was like being a speedster meant you were never tired after a battle, meant you were never sore hours later when the bruises and scrapes were blossoming all over. Cisco was a hero now, had his bitchin’ powers and dope costume and everything, and he still felt like he couldn’t quite keep up. Most days he didn’t mind.

While he appreciated their enthusiasm, right now he wanted rest. The hand that suddenly started carding itself through his hair with an equally exhausted sigh told him he wasn’t alone. He closed his eyes and let out a small hum of approval.

“Sometimes I think I’m dating a cat, Ramon.”

Cisco gave a half-hearted scoff.

“If anyone’s the cat in this situation, Harry, it’s you. Mr. I’m-feeling-grumpy-let-me-push-everything-off-Cisco’s-desk-and-make-him-clean-it-up.”

Harry chuckled. “Bit long for a birth certificate.”

He shrugged. A crash came from the cortex and they both tensed, only to relax at the loud laughter and cheers that reverberated through the halls.

“They’re in top form today, aren’t they.”

“Why did superheroes happen to me, Harry. I am a mostly good person who just wanted to build things and maybe form a multi-billion dollar tech company.”

“Don’t ask me, Ramon. I ask myself the same question every day, and I did form a multi-billion dollar tech company.”

“Do you have a Batcave?”

“No.”

“Then it’s wasted on you.”

Harry rolled his eyes and removed his hand, ignoring Cisco’s whine.

“Get up. We have 400 pizzas to order and pick up.”

“Can’t we let the kids fend for themselves, for just one night?” 

He paused, looking down at him. His eyes seemed to do a mental check up, cataloging a thousand different small details that formed a big picture. It unnerved Cisco, being taken apart this way, like an engineering project, but not in a bad way.

“Are you alright, Cisco?” His voice was concerned, like he had just noticed how close he was to the breaking point.

The answer came out before he even realized it had formed.

“Run away with me, Harry.”

He froze.

“What?”

Cisco dragged himself into standing, let the bench support most of his weight by leaning against it.

“I got thrown against a tree today, Harry. Two days ago I almost vibed a building down on top of myself. Last week we fought an actual, honest to god dragon.”

“You loved fighting the dragon.”

“Yes, I did, and I love being a superhero, but dammit, Harry, I don’t have super healing. I don’t have the energy of a thousand toddlers on cocaine. I can’t- I can’t keep doing this non-stop. I can’t. I need a vacation. We. We need a vacation.”

Harry stepped forward and slowly let his arms wrap around his shoulders. Cisco relaxed into it, letting himself absorb some of his calm.

“Okay, Cisco,” he said quietly, pressing small kisses into his hair, “Okay.”

~

They order the pizzas, because they aren’t actually sure the others would remember, and leave a note.

Cisco throws his toothbrush, hairbrush, trunks and a towel in a duffel bag with spare clothes and soap.

Harry tries to pack three of the same black shirts.

Cisco takes over packing for Harry.

They stop on the way to buy sunscreen, then drive to Coast City. Cisco keeps the windows down the whole way, enjoying the breeze. Harry grumbles about hair blowing in his face while driving and braids it at the next pit stop. 

Cisco opens a breach at the city limits and they drive through. 

If there is a real and genuine emergency, the Speed Squad can use his interdimensional communicators. If there isn’t, then they want their weekend to themselves.

Harry buys a book and sits under an umbrella pretending to read it for three hours while watching as Cisco splashes in the water. They build a sandcastle that makes a four year old boy cry genuine tears. Harry reapplies sunscreen every two hours.

He still gets sunburned.

He doesn’t mind.

They stay for three days, walking the beach, eating seafood, sleeping in, staying up. Staying up a lot. Apparently Harry needed this vacation as much as Cisco did.

They go home Monday morning, feeling better than they had in months.

“Thanks for running away with me, Harry,” Cisco mutters, leaning carefully on his shoulder to avoid the worst of the sunburn.

Harry wraps his arm around him.

“It was my pleasure.”


	11. lol guess what it is. it's more harrisco. mob boss harry au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this ones for harriscofest but again  
> mostly for cas  
> my tumblr image is wilson frisk in a flower crown we all saw this coming  
> there's making out in this one, fair warning  
> and like  
> allusions to sex  
> so  
> there ya go

Harry adjusted his tie in the car mirror for the fourth time that evening. Hartley let out a deep sigh.

“You look fine, boss. Great, even.”

Harry waved his comments away with a frustrated face and began running his hands through his hair. Hartley sat up straighter, alarmed, and pulled his hands away.

“I did not spend thirty minutes in your bathroom with hair gel for you to mess it up now!”

“I look ridiculous!” Harry snapped, tugging his hands out of his grip.

“Shut up, he’s going to like it! Even if he doesn’t, I picked out the best dinner spot in the city. Order the chocolate mousse for desert, and you’re going to have a second date.”

“Whatever,” he muttered, mentally filing the information away.

Hartley rolled his eyes and went back to his phone. The car pulled up in front of the restaurant. 

“Try not to have too much fun, we have a meeting with the Russians tomorrow.”

“Right.”

“And remember the wine order we went over.”

“I’ve got it.”

“And don’t forget the boutonniere!”

“Is this my date or yours?”

Hartley smirked. 

“I’d like to think of it as our date. If everything goes well, he’ll be joining the family!”

“No, he won’t.” A tinge of warning hung on his tone.

“Harrison. You’re the head of the biggest crime syndicate in the city. He’s not an idiot, you met him at a Science Expo. He’s going to figure it out.”

“No,” Harry said firmly. “Cisco Ramon can never know he’s going on a date with a mob boss.”

~

Cisco Ramon had a date with a mob boss.

When Harrison Wells, one of the CCPD’s biggest Persons of Interest (at least according to Barry), approached him at the annual Science Expo, he thought he was going to be kidnapped at worst, given a job offer at best.

Hey, what can he say? His experimental weapon designs were well known in certain circles. A man’s gotta have a hobby, after all.

So when the man struck up a conversation instead, looming awkwardly over him in the crowded hall, muttering about the different tech, he was a bit taken aback. He recovered quickly. If the guy wanted to have a chat, well, Cisco could indulge him.

Harrison(You can call me Harry)’s face when he started talking back was…something distressingly close to relieved. Drunk Barry was not one to skimp on details, Cisco knew what this man had done, knew he was smart enough to not get caught, but somehow. Somehow, crowded in and discussing lasers, he just seemed…Adorable.

When he asked him out, Cisco only hesitated a little before giving him a yes. The look on his face threw any lingering doubts out the window. Harry clearly wasn’t trying to trap him. Probably didn’t even know Cisco knew who he was.

Cisco still slides one of his prototypes into his suit jacket. He’s not a complete moron.

Harry is waiting for him when he gets to the place (and holy shit, being a criminal mastermind must come with serious perks, because Carter and Kendra had been trying to get a reservation here for weeks) and offers him his arm and a boutonniere.

“It’s a gardenia,” he muttered, “You don’t have to take it if you don’t like it.”

Cisco smiled and pinned it to his chest, trying hard not to laugh at the slight blush on his face.

He beat a man to death with a crowbar, Cisco, he’s not a damn puppy.

They walk in and are seated. Cisco lets himself be a little impressed by the surroundings. The building is tastefully decorated without giving way to opulence, and the lighting is low and romantic.

“I have to say, Harry, you pick a heck of a place to show a guy a good time.”

He gives a small smile. “In the interest of honesty, I know nothing about dating locations and such. I had one of my business associates recommend it to me. It’s my first time here.”

“Well tell your associate that they have good taste. If the chocolate mousse here is as good as they say, you’re definitely getting a second date.”

“I’ll make note of that.” Harry chuckles, seeing some unknown humor.

They place their orders and he doesn’t even blink when Cisco orders the most expensive thing on the menu. Good sign.

“Don’t worry,” he says with a wink, “I put out on the first date.”

Harry chokes on his wine. The waiter chokes on air before rushing off with the menus. Cisco lets himself chuckle then.

“That’s, uh. Good t-to know.” His hands are shaky as he brings his napkin to his mouth. Clearing his throat, he leans forward. “Look, if I’ve made you feel pressured in any way- I mean, it’s not that I’m uninterested, obviously, of course not, you’re lovely, but honestly, I’m not expecting-”

Cisco places one of his hands over his own.

“Harry. You’re rambling. Relax.” His voice is amused. 

“Right,” Harry takes a deep breath, “Right.”

“Haven’t been on a date in a while, huh?”

Harry shook his head, smiling sardonically.

“It’s that obvious? No, my work prevents me from getting out like this much.”

Yeah, Cisco bets it does.

“I guess I should be flattered, then. Speaking of, what did you say your work was, again?”

~

Harry froze, staring blankly ahead with a deer in the headlights look.

“I, um. I work in acquisitions and distribution. For a large company in town. I’m the head of that department, actually.”

Cisco smiles. Smooth, Harrison. You only stumbled a little. His date rests his head on his hand, arm propped up on the table.

“Wow, that sounds fascinating. Tell me more.”

“Oh, it’s, uh. Its nothing, really. Boring, even. But I do well for myself. We had a merger this afternoon, which should bring us even more revenue.”

The Irish were tough negotiators, but apply enough pressure and they agreed well enough. Especially when the pressure was on their throat.

“Judging by the blood on your neck, I take it the merger went well.”

Harry swore, bringing his hand up to the side of his neck. A few flecks of dried blood scraped off. Cisco smiled serenely.

“I cut myself shaving.”

“I’m sure that’s the case. Although I could make a joke about cutthroat business practices.”

Harry huffs out a small laugh, mentally cursing out Rathaway for not noticing the blood in the car. Still, Cisco seemed to be buying it. People nicked themselves shaving all the time. Harry was in the clear.

Cisco opened his mouth, doubtless to ask more questions, only for the waiter arrive with their food. He blushed slightly as he set down Cisco’s plate. Harry frowned as he walked away.

He was distracted by Cisco eating. More specifically, the deeply satisfied noises he made while eating. His eyes shut as he made small groans of pleasure. Harry’s fist tightened around his silverware. There were going to be indents in his hands at this point. His fork started to bend slightly.

“Dude.”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you even gonna eat your food? It’s, like, the best goddamn thing I’ve ever tasted.”

Harry bets he would be.

“Yeah, sorry. Lost in thought.”

“Anything you’d like to share?”

Never.

“Not particularly.”

Cisco shrugged before going back to eating.

“Suit yourself, man.”

Harry’s sure his dinner was delicious, but he barely tasted a bite of it. Cisco excused himself to wash his face (lobster can be a mess to eat, butter sauce dripping everywhere, and as enthralling as it was to watch him chase the droplets with his tongue, Harry understood). With a deep and contented sigh, he lets himself relax into the chair.

The waiter came by to clear their plates.

“Can I get you anything else this evening, sir?”

“Two orders of the chocolate mousse.”

“Ah, looking for a second date, huh? Can’t say I blame you.” The waiter gave him a knowing smile. Harry tensed, smile rigid on his face. He seriously considers throttling the man before Cisco returns, beaming at him as he takes his seat.

“I hope you don’t mind, I took the liberty of ordering some dessert.”

“Not at all. I’ve got a sweet tooth that pretty much takes up my whole mouth.”

Harry will have to remember that.

“You know, I’ve been bothering you with questions all night-”

“It’s not a bother.”

Cisco smiles sweetly at him.

“And that’s very kind of you. But you haven’t asked me any questions yet. Do you want to?”

There were plenty of things Harry wanted to ask Cisco. How do you feel about dating career criminals, for example. Are you enjoying yourself as much as I am. Do you like kids because I have a daughter studying abroad and I think you would adore each other.

What comes out of his mouth is very different.

“So, do you bring a gun to all your dates, or am I just special?”

Cisco startled, eyes widening before something resembling a smirk slides it’s way onto his face. It’s more attractive than it has any right to be.

“Well a boy should always carry protection if he plans on having fun, Harry.”

Harry swallows down the sudden excess of saliva in his mouth.

“But don’t worry. I still think you’re plenty special.”

The chocolate mousse arrives and Harry tries to kid himself that the glazed look on his date’s eyes has something to do with himself.

“It’s not a gun, by the way.”

“Hmmm?”

“It’s not a gun. It’s a prototype taser I’ve been tweaking. I’m an engineer, making toys is kinda my thing.”

“You consider a taser a toy?”

“Considering I’m also developing a gun that can achieve absolute zero? Hell yeah it’s a toy. It’s not even lethal, ‘cause I like you so much.”

Harry doesn’t even pretend to hide the effect his words have on him. His tongue feels heavy in his mouth as something deep and dark inside him purrs.

“You’re perfect,” he murmurs, and watches as the other man’s face reddens. Cisco’s eyes, in the dim light of the dining area, seem to become impossibly darker.

“Nah,” he chokes out lightly, “This mousse is perfect. Seriously, Harry. You gotta try this.”

Harrison lets the moment slide, popping a spoonful in his mouth. It’s good. He can think of something that would taste better.

“Cisco-”

“Alright, here’s your check! We hope you had a good time with us this evening, please come back again!”

The waiter drops the check between them, breaking whatever trance held them. He has the audacity to wink at them. Harry curbs the growl building in his throat and clenches his fists. He pays for the meal, even goes against his instincts and leaves a decent tip.

They finish their dessert and Harry escorts Cisco out of the restaurant.

“I had a good time,” he says gently, “Thank you for your company.”

“I feel like I should be thanking you, here. The food was amazing, and you weren’t so bad yourself, Harry.” Cisco grins brightly at him.

“Yes, well.” He tries to fight the blush he can feel rising. He was a grown man, dammit. “Let me escort you to your car.”

“Oh, I took a cab. I can always wait for one to come pick me up, don’t worry about it.”

Harry frowned. 

“Or, y’know. You could give me a ride back to mine. It’s a bit of a mess, but there’s coffee.”

“How could you possibly still be hun-” Oh. Oh.

Cisco laughs.

“I don’t understand how anyone could be scared of you. You’re a dork. I love it.”

“I would be more than happy to give you a ride.”

“Well, I should hope so.” Cisco winks.

Harry is going to give Hartley a raise. And a vacation. And-

His car pulls up to curb and he opens the door. Cisco slides in and he follows after. Something about his words nags at him.

“Cisco.”

“Harry.” His tone is teasing.

“You mentioned something about people being afraid of me.”

“Well yeah,” Cisco chuckles, before sliding closer, “You’re kinda the biggest mob boss in the city.”

All of the air in Harry’s chest leaves him.

“Wha-Y-I-”

Cisco slips onto Harry’s lap and stops his stammering with a kiss.

“Yes,” he says affectionately. “I know. Kinda knew the entire time.”

“Then why-”

“Because I don’t actually care all that much. Now are you going to get with the program, here, or-”

Harry pulls him in roughly, stopping his words with his tongue and his teeth.

“I was right,” he pants out, “You are perfect.”

Cisco lets out a small laugh, squirming closer. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

The car starts moving, partitions up (thank god), and Harry’s hand goes to Cisco’s waist, steadying him against him as his other hand finds his way into his hair. He pulls it, dragging his head back and exposing his throat, letting his mouth slide over Cisco’s neck and pulling soft strangled noises out of him before Cisco pushes their mouths back together.

The hand on Cisco’s waist drifts lower, pulling him in tighter, closer, until they can’t be discerned from each other, until they share a body, unti-

Harry’s phone starts ringing.

He ignores it.

It rings again. Hartley’s ringtone. Fuck.

Reluctantly, he drags his face away from Cisco’s and picks it up.

“What?” he snaps, temper high.

“Boss. We have an emergency. We need you down at the docks.”

“I’m a little busy, here, Rathaway.”

The sound of gunshots blares through the phone.

“Harrison. Please. Now.”

Snarling, he throws his phone into the seat beside him.

“Something come up, Harry?”

“Work. I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut the evening short.”

Cisco sighs.

“Alright. Guess I shoulda seen this coming. Didn’t expect it so soon, though.”

Harrison barks out a short, bitter laugh.

“My driver will still take you home. It’s only a few blocks for me, I could use the exercise. I’ll call you in the morning.”

Harry calls the car to a stop and steps out.

Cisco looks torn. “Harry-” he sighs. “Be safe, Harry.”

The words warm him in the cool night air. He leans down and presses a final gentle kiss to his lips.

“I’ll call you in the morning.”

It’s a promise he intends to keep.

He watches the car drive off and walks briskly off. The walk settles him a little. By the time he gets to the docks, the situation has reached it’s zenith.

Good.

Then he can blow off some steam.


	12. hey-ho, more harrisco (this time with Were Woofs)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy  
> you know the drill my groovy pals  
> also this has. teeny tiny teen wolf influences  
> whatevs  
> "champ" you may wonder  
> "it's been a year when the fuck are you updating KRNTC"
> 
> ha funny story  
> i'm working on it

There was a boy in the woods. 

That in and of itself wasn’t that uncommon. The wolf knew his woods were lovely, cool and lush and inviting. The perfect place for prey of all kinds. 

Especially rabbits.

Boys came here often, to play at war games or hunting. To find a place hidden away to play other games when they were older, with each other or the girls they brought along with them. Girls came too, to pick flowers and sing songs and beat up the boys with sticks. Children loved the wolf’s forest. 

Most of the time the wolf avoided them, and let them be. The laughter and cheerful banter of the children, the teasing hesitation and surly rebellion of the teenagers, it all reminded him of someone else, of something he wanted to bury deep under his instincts until nothing but teeth and fur remained. Let the young ones play their games. Better they than hunters, and as long as they stayed near the trails, the wolf had no need to go near them.

This boy was different. He was older, certainly old enough to be a hunter, but he didn’t smell of monkshood and rowan, didn’t seem to be carrying any weapons at all. He wandered the trails like old couples sometimes did, without a particular purpose, seemingly lost in thought.

He smelled like candy and cinnamon and engine grease, like old coffee and burnt wire, like stale sweat and sugar. It was familiar, in a way, bringing back painful images of a lab, of hands instead of paws, of a kind of satisfactory bone deep exhaustion. It makes his teeth itch. 

This boy makes his teeth itch, and the logical part of his brain knows he should be avoiding humans, staying away, but the deeper part of him is angry. Who is this person, and how dare he drag the past in behind him on the air. How dare he invade his territory like this.

The wolf watches and pretends that the human part of him, the buried, Harrison part of him, isn’t sharply curious.

Harrison watches, too.

He learns that the boy’s name is Cisco, that he’s an engineer. He learns that Cisco gets anxious, and he takes walks to calm himself. He learns that the people he drags with him sometimes are his friends, his co-workers.

His pack, thinks the wolf, and doesn’t look too deeply at the small part of him that is pleased that this Cisco doesn’t have to walk alone all the time.

Harrison doesn’t mind being a loner, but the wolf does. It gets harder to distinguish the two every day. A part of him wonders if he would have already slipped seamlessly into one if this frustratingly confusing boy hadn’t started ambling his way through his woods. 

His ears perk up when they talk about him. Not him, of course, but who he used to be.

“You know the explosion a few years ago?” It was the scrawny one who never stopped moving.

“What, at STAR Labs? The one that nearly leveled a city block? The one that killed seven people? That explosion?”

Harrison bit back a whine at the thought of it.

The scrawny one (Barry, his mind supplied) simply rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, that explosion.”

“What about it?” Cisco kicked at a rock as they walked down the trail.

“That girl, the Wells girl. She woke up from her coma today.”

Harrison froze. Jesse. Jesse was alive. His daughter was alive.

“Who, Jesse?”

“Yeah. Apparently, she’s gonna be ok.”

“That’s good news, man. Kinda sucks that her dad went missing and all that, though. You think we should send flowers or something? I almost worked there, before everything went to shit for them.”

“That’d be nice, man. Kinda creepy, though, considering we’re two dudes she’s never met.”

“Fair enough,” Cisco laughs, and kicks the rock into the bushes that border the trail. It rolls through and comes to a halt at Harrison’s paws, but he doesn’t notice it. He doesn’t notice anything.

My daughter is alive.

For the first time in three years he tries desperately to take his human form. 

It takes hours, every bone in his body twists and snaps into place, grinding painfully into a new shape as he howls and howls, but when it’s done, Harrison sits crouched panting in the small cave he called home.

First he needs to find clothes. Then he needs to find Jesse. The wolf in him whines at the order of his list, but Harrison is in charge of himself again. He needs clothes or he won’t be able to see his daughter, and it’s that simple.

Luckily, it’s night time, and it’s simple enough to snatch some jeans and a hoodie off a clothesline. Serves them right for trying to dry their clothes in the dark, anyway.

He slips into her hospital room, quiet as anything past their laughable security and overworked nurses, and his breath catches in his throat.

She’s asleep, pale and still, and the hospital gown she’s wearing makes her look washed out, but it’s her. It’s Jesse. 

Harrison walks slowly to the bed, afraid even now that she’ll disappear, that this will be a dream. He reaches his hand out tentatively, softly stroking his fingers down her face.

Jesse.

Her eyes open slowly, blearily, and a small fond grin fights it’s way onto his face. How often had he woken her up for school, just to be greeted with this same expression?

“Dad?”

“Hey, Quick.”

His voice is hoarse from years of disuse and emotion, but neither of them care. She throws herself into a sitting position and squeezes his ribs so hard he can’t breathe. He’s never felt happier in his life.

~

Of course, it’s not as simple as that. Harrison has been missing for 3 years. He has to fabricate excuses, catch up on paperwork, do a press conference, make explanation after explanation but…

But…

Jesse is alive. It’s worth it. He isn’t fighting with his wolf anymore, isn’t eating rabbits and chipmunks. He lives in a house. He’s distressingly close to normal. 

It makes him antsy, after the first month or so. Jesse’s home, he has his company back, but he’s bored. He got used to indulging his animal side completely, and being human, as always, took effort.

So when Jesse mentions jogging as part of her physical therapy, he doesn’t hesitate to offer to come with her. He wants to show her his woods, his life for the past three years. He wants to run over his former territory with his daughter, let her see the streams he used to drink from and the cave he slept in. He wants her to know.

Hell, part of him even wanted to catch a rabbit. Old habits die hard.

They start at the beginning of the trail, stretching lazily in the morning sun, before beginning an easy gentle lope through the trees. Nothing too hard just yet, pacing themselves.

An easy laugh rings out through the woods from ahead. He recognizes the voice.

“Cisco,” he mutters. Of course he would be here.

“What?” Jesse asks, looking at him confused.

“Cisco. An engineer who walks here sometimes. When I got bored I would watch him.” He shrugs and jogs on, content to let it go.

“So like. Wolf you got bored and started stalking some dude?”

“It wasn’t stalking. It was watching. He smelled familiar, I was curious.”

She scoffs and rolls her eyes. “That sounds like you. ‘Hmm, this boy smells like science, better check him out!’ You’re ridiculous, Dad.”

He shrugs again, letting the teasing banter roll over him. The laughter is getting closer. They turn a corner in the trail, and there he is. Jogging with the woman who smells like antiseptic and coffee. Harrison can’t remember her name, and he finds he doesn’t have the will power to try.

Because Cisco is wearing the shortest, brightest red shorts he has ever seen in his life. ‘Are you nasty?’ is posted across the back in big white letters.

“Ok,” Jesse whispers, “I get why you were watching him now.”

“Jesse!” he hisses, eyes shooting back to his daughter. 

“What? It’s not like I can look away either!”

Harrison suppresses his growl. 

“It wasn’t like that. We wolves don’t notice clothes much, you know that.”

“Trust me, Dad. I’ve seen what you wear. I know.” She smirks at him, teasing out a sigh.

“Can we just jog in peace, please?”

She tilts her head thoughtfully.

“Hmmmmmmmmnope!”

She puts on a burst of speed and runs to catch up to the other two, ignoring her father’s panicked whisper shouting.

“Hi,” he hears her say, “I’m Jesse!”

“I know who you are,” comes the familiar voice, tinged by awe. “I’m Cisco, it’s. It’s nice to meet you.”

She shakes his hand, grinning.

“Nice to meet you too. Fan of my dad’s?” Don’t look at her, Harrison, it’s what she wants. For the love of god don’t look at him either.

“I mean, yeah, you could say that. Harrison Wells was my hero! Until. You know. The accident.”

“Yeah,” Jesse agrees quietly.

“I was glad to hear you woke up okay, by the way. I was gonna send flowers, but my friend pointed out that it might come off as kinda creepy.”

Her smile changes, slides just a touch more to genuine.

“That’s sweet. Thank you. Speaking of my dad, he should be catching up soon…”

He’s glad his daughter lived, because he’s going to kill her. Sighing, he runs up to join her.

“Hello.”

If Cisco looked at his daughter with awe, the gaze he meets is nigh unto worship. The wolf reminds him that there is a perfectly good cave not far from here, warm and dry and very clothing optional. Harrison tells it to shut up.

“Hi. You’re Harrison Wells.”

“Yes,” he agrees.

“You solved Einstein’s Riddle when you were a kid.”

“Did I?” He keeps his tone light and teasing. Not a threat, he tries to convey with his eyes and his smile and his hands, definitely don’t have claws or fangs, didn’t think of dragging you into the woods to slam you against a tree five seconds ago.

It seems to work. Cisco smiles at him, a faint blush high on his cheeks.

“Sorry, hi. I’m Cisco.”

“Cisco. Its very nice to meet you.”

A wave of giddy joy rushes off the boy, tinged with admiration and just a touch of lust.

Well then.

“I like your shorts.”

The blush gets deeper, and Jesse snickers before going back to talking to whatever her name was.

Cisco still smells like candy and engine grease, and when he laughs Harrison feels his fingers twitch.

Cave, the wolf reminds him desperately, with rabbits!

Harrison ignores it.

“Would you, uh. Would you guys wanna jog with us?”

“Sure!” he says, maybe a touch too fast.

“Cool!” Cisco beams. “Cool.”

They pick up their jogging again, all keeping a steady pace. Harrison watches him run ahead, ridiculous shorts and long soft hair.

His teeth itch.


	13. halloween harrisco (more vampires. and rooftops!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one was also for uhhhh  
> uh  
> what's the word  
> harriscofest  
> i didn't do this years but shrug emoji  
> holy shit you just said to yourself  
> are they literally too lazy to copypaste the shrug emoji  
> lol yeah  
> i mean i'm too lazy to edit these things is that really a surprise  
> anyway there's makeouts and implied sex in this one too. but this one's for goofs and fun (and cas, obv)

The cortex was decked out in decorations for the party. Orange and black streamers were everywhere. A fake skeleton in a top hat was standing in the corner. Wally had hidden at least five motion detecting dancing animatronics all over the lab, and if Cisco turned another corner to hear mad laughter and a cheap Halloween jingle, he was going to snap. Still, he had to give props for the enthusiasm everyone seemed to embrace getting everything set up for the Halloween party.

Even Harry seemed to be enjoying himself. He helped Cisco cook up treats for the party. Jesse seemed skeptical that sitting in the kitchen watching Cisco cook and sneaking samples was actually helping anything, but he assured his daughter that he was supervising, which was incredibly important.

“Seriously, Dad?” she groaned, ignoring the snickers coming from Cisco.

“Definitely,” Harry nodded solemnly, shoving a barely cooled cookie in his mouth. “You never know when Ramon might get the proportions wrong and accidentally blow something up.”

“Hey!” came an offended shout. Cisco smacked his shoulder with a spoon. “That’s it, no more freebies for you. Go TP someone’s yard with Jesse or something, get in the holiday spirit.”

Harrison rolled his eyes but rose from his seat at the kitchen island. Stuffing a few more cookies in his pockets, he strode out, ignoring Cisco’s annoyed calling after him.

He needed to get into his costume anyway.

~

By the time Cisco walked in, the party was in full swing. Joe had brought cider, and from the looks on the non-speedsters’ faces, it was about as potent as his eggnog. Barry saw him and laughed, walking over.

“Dude, is that, like. In good taste?”

Cisco shrugged, with a smirk his tribute would be proud of.

“I came as the creepiest thing I could imagine. Not my fault it happened to be my probably-dead evil doppelganger.”

“Guy-liner and all. You look great, man.”

Cisco gave a sarcastic half bow.

“As if I would ever need the approval of someone as pathetic as you, Flash,” he drawled lowly, dripping disdain.

Barry gave a small shudder. “Ugh. That is so creepy. Good job, I will be seeing that in my nightmares.”

He grinned sheepishly. “Sorry buddy.”

“Don’t sweat it.”

Iris came up behind him and ducked under Barry’s arm, wrapping her hand around his waist. With the other hand she offered Cisco a glass of cider.

“Have you seen Harry’s costume yet? I can’t decide if it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen, or on a level so high above it has transcended what could be construed as good.”

Cisco frowned.

“I kinda figured he was just gonna throw on the Reverse-Flash suit. I was kinda going for a evil doppelganger couples thing.”

“That would have been adorable! And creepy, but adorable!”

“What did he pick out, then?”

Before she could answer, her eyes caught on something over her shoulder and she started giggling. Cisco started to turn to see, only for familiar hands to grab his hips and pull him back against a hard chest.

“Harry.”

The hum of acknowledgement reverberated through his chest, as the owner of the hands plastered himself against him. Harry’s voice muttered into his hair.

“You look. Nice.”

“Thanks, babe. Quick question, how much of that cider have you had?”

Harry ignored the question in favor of rubbing his face against Cisco’s hair.

“You smell pretty.”

“Iris please for the love of god tell me you brought your phone.”

Iris cackled before shaking her head.

“Nuh-uh, Barry. Drunk Harry is a gift that can never be documented. It’s like Bigfoot. If there was actual concrete proof, the magic would be gone.”

Harry’s arms wrapped themselves around his shoulders, pulling him tighter against him.

“Okay, Harry. I have been thoroughly cuddled. You can detach now.”

His arms tightened and he made a grumpy sound before sighing and letting his captive go.

“Fine,” he sighed, sounding as if he was greatly inconvenienced. 

Turning to face him, Cisco leaned up to give him a kiss, only to stop at the sight of the cheap plastic fangs. Harry grinned, baring them wider.

“Dude.”

“What’s wrong, Cisco?”

Harry was wearing jeans and a plain white shirt with ‘Not A Vampire’ scrawled in messy large letters across the front in sharpie. The glaringly fake fangs settled in his mouth slightly awkwardly, explaining the faint slur Cisco had noticed earlier in his voice. Cisco had assumed it was drunkenness. 

Cisco had a mildly horrified expression of distaste. Harry beamed.

“Dude.”

“The fangs glow in the dark.”

“Dude.”

“Do you not like my costume?”

“I don’t think it is a costume.”

Harry sniffed in fake offense.

“And here I tried my best, hoping to please you.”

“Shut up and take those stupid fangs out so I can kiss you, you dork.”

Smiling, he obliged. Caitlin wolf whistled from across the room.

“You wanna get outta here, Ramon?”

Cisco nodded.

~

“Just so you know, when you asked me if I wanted to get outta here, I didn’t mean going up to the roof.”

Harry rolled his eyes as he unfolded the shock blanket from one of Caitlin’s many first aid kits stashed around the labs and flung himself down on it. He patted the blanket next to him. Rolling his eyes, Cisco sat next to him. 

“You realize I live in the labs, right. Where else were we gonna go to be alone?”

“We coulda gone to my place.”

“Takes too long. Besides, we have everything we need right here. I stashed some pumpkin ale earlier when everyone else was distracted.”

He reached behind them and pulled out a six-pack.

“And we’ve got the best view in the city.”

He gestured around them.

“Perfect spot.”

“Harry. I’m not fucking you on the roof of STAR Labs in the middle of October.”

He pouted for half a second before sighing. 

“It was worth a shot.”

“Was it, Harry?”

“I’m cold.”

“You’re wearing a t-shirt in October on a roof. Color me shocked.”

“If only there were a way to warm myself.”

“We’re sitting on a perfectly usable blanket.”

“Shut up and cuddle me, Ramon.”

Cisco snorted before scooting closer.

“There’s the dashing romantic I fell in love with.”

“Well, you’re being the sass-mouth I fell in love with.”

“Sass-mouth. God, you’re old.”

“Hush.”

And with that he leaned down to let his mouth cover Cisco’s. Smiling into the kiss, Cisco let his hands come up to settle lightly on Harry’s chest, feeling the steady pulse beneath his fingers and letting it anchor him in the moment.

Harry’s tongue slipped past his lips with a small moan, and Cisco felt the beating grow faster. Slowly Harry’s hands dragged over him in long steady strokes, as if Cisco was the one who needed calming. One hand settled at the base of his throat, thumb rubbing gently over the jumping pulse, as the other cradled the back of his head, pulling lightly at his hair.

The kiss deepened and Cisco slid closer, opening himself more to Harry. He tasted like sugar and pumpkin and apples, like the slightly sour taste of alcohol. When they finally pulled away to breathe, panting, breath hovering over them in the cold air, Cisco laughed.

“I still can’t believe those terrible fangs. You make the worst vampire ever, Harry.”

“I can’t say the same of your costume. I’ll never miss Reverb, but I have to say. The look suits you.”

“Should I be jealous of me?”

“Just so we’re clear, Ramon, I never wanted to kiss your doppelganger." 

Cisco huffed out a laugh before wrapping his arm around him. "Don’t worry, Harry, I never thought you did. Besides, in some ways, the two of you were more alike than you think." 

Harry frowned, seemingly puzzled.

"I left my eyeliner days in the 80′s, where they belong." 

"And as fascinating as that is-seriously, Harry, we’re talking about that later- I just mean that, taste wise, you guys seemed pretty similar." 

"You knew him for five minutes.”

“Yeah and he spent those five minutes trying to get in my pants." 

Harry shrugged, a concession. 

“They’re very nice pants,” he offers.

Leaning his head on Cisco’s shoulder, he stared out over Central City, seemingly lost in thought.

“Harry.”

“Cisco.”

“Are you thinking about me making out with my evil alternate self.”

“Maybe.”

Cisco shoved his shoulder with a loud, mocking gasp of feigned surprise.

“Why Harrison Wells, as I live and breathe! You shock me, sir. Very naughty.”

“Alas, I admit it.”

“Is it hot.”

“Very.”

“You’re telling me in detail later.”

“Crack open one of those ales and I’ll tell you now.”

“You’re incorrigible when you’re tipsy, you know that?”

He slid one over to him anyway, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

“Just when I’m tipsy?”

“Fine. More when you’re tipsy.”

“Well then drink up, sweetheart. You need to catch up if I have any chance of changing your policy on rooftops.”

“It’s freezing up here.”

Harry shrugged.

“Someone could come looking for us.”

“I locked the door.”

“You’re going to catch a cold.”

“We’ll see.”

Cisco sighed before cracking one open and taking a swig. Harry may not have his fangs in anymore, but his grin is still sharp enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Which. This casts some doubt on the actuality of how drunk he was.

Cisco’s laugh rings out through the frosty air.

(Harry does get a cold. “Worth it,” he croaks. Cisco sighs before shoveling more soup down his throat.)


	14. Gone Fishin (for comments. please. seriously tho this is just a harrisco fishing trip)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> believe it or not  
> this harrico fic is for cas  
> ta da  
> huge surprise i know  
> look i already dedicated the collection to all of you  
> she wanted something chill so i made  
> this  
> no makeouts in this one even. it's p gen, actually  
> do i write soothing rural ficlets as a method of self calming, you ask  
> shut up, i say, but also yeah

It was quiet. The low buzzing whine of mosquitoes and gentle lapping of the lake were the only possible disturbances of the peace aside from the occasional sound of nature crying out desperately for companionship. Bullfrogs and crickets and birds all tried their hands at singing for love as the sun went down. Golden light bathed everything. A gentle breeze blew, lifting the hair off the back of Cisco’s neck playfully. He breathes out a gentle sigh and kicked his feet in the water, watching the fading light play on the scattered droplets. Harry let out a small noise of discontent from beside him.

“You’re gonna scare off all the fish, Ramon.”

Cisco snorted.

“More likely they’ll be scared off by your stupid hat, old man.”

Harry sputtered in offense.

“Wh-yo-I-th-this is a perfectly acceptable fishing hat, Ramon!”

The bucket hat was perched proudly on his head, smushing his hair and keeping the light off of his incredibly sensitive skin. The back of his neck was still a bit burnt. The entire ensemble, with the board shorts and garish shirt, was like something out of a ridiculous sit-com. It was almost charmingly hideous.

“Did Joe put you up to this.”

“The shirt is good luck!”

“Oh my god,” Cisco cackled, falling back to the deck to laugh. “He so totally played you!”

Harry grumbled good-naturedly, unable to be truly offended when his companion was smiling more than he had in weeks. This trip had been a good idea, no matter what wardrobe malfunctions it may contain. He already felt more at peace than he had in a while, since before Jesse was taken. 

He nudged him and rolled his eyes, happy to play the role of the curmudgeon. Calm blossomed in his chest as he sat, watching the bobber float in the water. They hadn’t caught much, but it was still early in the year. Still a bit cold. Besides, this trip wasn’t actually about catching fish. Things had been tense around the labs lately, and every victory felt less and less like a triumph and more and more like a trial. Harry accomplished tasks, but the joy of helping superhumans save the day was wearing thin. He had needed the break, and from the look of things, so had Cisco.

“You know, I’m surprised you came,” he murmured, eyes set seemingly indifferent on the lake. He had offered the invitation, more a peace offering than anything else, fully expecting rejection. Sitting outside on a dock with fishing poles doing nothing didn’t seem like Cisco’s idea of fun. Still, he was happy he had accepted.

Cisco grinned, still staring up at the sky, and shrugged.

“I used to go fishing with my dad all the time, when I was younger. Me and Dante.” A small crease formed on his brow, a flash of grief that soon smoothed back out. “We would spend weekends together, for male bonding or whatever. Dante used to make me clean the fish ‘to build character.’ Dad always let him get away with it. It used to piss me off, but looking back at it now it was kind of hilarious. I would end up with scales in my hair looking like some kind of swamp thing.” 

A small smile stole across his face at the memory. Something soft and insistent tugged at Harry’s ribs.

“Well,” he muttered awkwardly, “I’m glad you came.”

“Yeah,” Cisco whispered. “Me too. You wanna know something?”

Harry shrugged.

“In a certain light…I don’t know, maybe because it’s getting darker, I guess, but from a certain angle….”

He tilted his head thoughtfully and sat up, staring hard and contemplating. Harry burned in embarrassment from the gawking.

“From a certain angle, that hat is almost not entirely ridiculous.”

A surprise laugh barked it’s way out. Harry reached down into the water and splashed him, chuckling at his shocked indignation.

“From a certain angle, your face isn’t ridiculous.”

“For that I should push you off the dock.”

“Try it and walk home.”

Cisco stuck his tongue out and went back to watching his line float in the water. Harry did the same. The last of the sun slipped below the horizon as stars slowly started to wink into view. They would do this again, Harry decided. As often as they could. Which likely wouldn’t be often, but dammit they both deserved some R and R. Yawning, he stood up and reeled in his line before nudging the other with his foot.

“Let’s go, before we freeze, or get eaten by a mutant woodchuck or something.”

Cisco winced.

“You don’t think those exist, do you?”

Harry shrugged. It wouldn’t be surprising. With a shudder, Cisco stood and groaned, stretching out his back to work out kinks from sitting on the wood all day.

“Alright. Ready to head home?”

He nodded. Home sounded good.


	15. it's benthan bros (and bees!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this takes place in the farmer's market au me and sunny made  
> yeah, benji's trans  
> i like that hc a lot  
> anyway if you ask about it i would certainly elaborate on some stuff, this au's my baby

Ethan wasn’t sure what his name was. He’d just been calling him “The Bee Man” in his head. He sold honey at the stall across the market and down a ways, and other honey-based products, and flowers.

Not that Ethan ever bought any from him. He’d be way too embarrassed. He just watched the Bee Man, smiling and laughing and chatting with his customers, a few curious honey bees buzzing around his stall. He was always dressed very well, in sweater vests and bow ties, and his customers were always clearly happy with the products. Ethan was completely taken with the man. Which is why he absolutely could never speak to him.

Under the table, one of his dogs, Sable, whined hopefully and thumped her tail against his foot. Reaching down between his legs, he stroked the soft collie’s fur.

“I’m fine, pretty lady. Just thinking.” 

She nosed at his hands, licking at his fingers before resettling herself. She didn’t like it when Ethan got too introspective, it often led to darker places. Today, however, he was content to sell his produce and his cider and try not to stare too long at the honey vendor.

~

Benji was in his element. The PTA moms loved his self care items and the “healthy snacks”, the old folks liked the flowers, and the kids liked the free samples. Business was going well and even the bees seemed happy.

So why was his skin crawling? His nerves were wracked with warning, telling him he was being watched, and as much as he hated it the feeling was starting to drain on him. He sent another happy customer off with a smile then let out a deep sigh, slumping into his chair.

“No one knows you’re here, Dunn,” he muttered, “Stop bein’ such a paranoid bastard.”

Yet the unease still grew, making him twitchy and skittish. Pressing it down, he managed to smile and be polite, but his teeth were grinding together at the sensation of being watched. He loosened his bow tie, trying to breathe, putting his head down as if he were resting, but instead the world only drew in tighter and closer. His skin was radiating with tension, and he tried to focus, but the world was overwhelming, and-

A wet nose pushed it’s way into his face, whimpering softly.

“What?”

A black and white collie mix of some kind had shoved it’s way under the table, and was determinedly nosing at his face, licking his chin and jumping up to put it’s paws in his lap when he jerked back unexpectedly. A surprised laugh forced it’s way out of his throat.

“Well hello there, darling. Who are you then?”

His response was only more doggy kisses and a wagging tail.

“Sable?” Oh my god, SABLE, get off the Bee Man!”

Benji looked to see a very attractive man with a mortified expression running towards them.

“I am so sorry, sir, she slipped away from me. She’s usually much better behaved than that, she’s a service dog. Sable, come here! Stop bothering him!”

“It’s no bother,” Benji rushed out, “She’s perfectly fine! Just wanted to come say hello, didn’t ya sweetheart?” He ran his fingers through her coat. “She was a welcome distraction anyway. Don’t always do well in large crowds.”

The other man blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Yeah. Me either. Guess she musta sensed it. Um. I can take her back, or. Leave her here, if you’d like?”

Benji shrugged.

“Up to you, she’s your dog!”

He let out a laugh.

“More like I’m her human, I think most days.”

“Well I think she’s made an excellent choice. Good breeding, clearly. Excellent form.”

“You like my form?”

Benji laughed, flushing slightly with embarrassment.

“Don’t listen to me, I’m coming down from an anxiety high. I babble. But yes, sure, it’s a very nice form. Which I’m positive you’re wildly aware of. 10/10 judges would give the blue ribbon. And the winner’s name is-”

“OH! Sorry, gosh, I’m. It’s been a while since I met anyone new. Ethan. Ethan Hunt. I sell fruits and veggies up the market a ways, and some crafts.”

Benji smiled at Ethan.

“I know, I’ve seen you. Word is you have the best apples in the state.”

He shrugged.

“Y’know, apples and honey go pretty well together. Maybe we could collaborate sometime.”

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot, Mr….”

“AH! Dunn. Benji Dunn, at your service.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Benji. I guess I can finally stop calling you the Bee Man in my head.”

“Have you been? That’s hilarious, I sound like some kind of pollination superhero.”

“I like Benji better.”

“Thanks, I picked it myself!”

They both shared a laugh that rang through the market in the crisp fall air. Lying on the ground between them, Sable let out a yawn and stretched contentedly, resting her head on her paws. Sometimes people needed to be herded more than sheep.


	16. it's even more benthan and even more farm shit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> listen the dead second i found out ethan hunt was raised on a farm in NNY  
> the way i was raised  
> i knew it was my destiny to milk farmboy ethan for all he was fucking worth  
> #sameoriginstorykinda

It was cold.

That in and of itself wasn’t surprising, it was winter in New York in the lake effect zone. Cold quite literally came with the territory, and it wasn’t as if Benji had never been cold before. England had it’s fair share of white Christmases, of cold winds and gently falling snowflakes. But his old flat, drafty as it seemed, was nowhere near the seemingly frozen tomb of the old farmhouse. Benji shivered under an old quilt.

Ethan grimaced as he bent forward, poking at the burning log with an iron prod. 

“Yeah, ok. It’s goin’ now. Should warm the place up in no time.”

He rose and blew on his hands, rubbing them together.

“Sorry, Benji. Old place means no central heating. Wood does the whole house, but don’t worry. It’ll heat up before you know it.”

Benji’s teeth chattered as he drew the blanket in tighter.

“Before I know it couldn’t come any faster.”

Ethan laughed, seemingly unaffected by the chill in his sweater pulled over pajamas.

“I could certainly try and help warm you up.”

“Don’t even think about it, you prat. There’s not a force on this Earth that could get me out of this blanket right now.”

“Not even, say, an Impossible Mission Force?”

“If I knew the roads well enough to drive away from this godforsaken place, I would murder you.”

Ethan huffed out a laugh.

“At least my body would be well preserved until spring.”

He wrapped his arms around his blanket burrito of a boyfriend and pulled him in closer. Rolling his eyes, Benji allowed the shorter man to cuddle him.

“If this is your idea of an apology, it’s only a start.”

“No, I’ve got my apology boiling on the stove.”

“Coffee?”

“Better.”

“Bullshit.”

Grinning, he lifted Benji and dead carried him to the kitchen, ignoring the squawks of protest. He set him down on the counter, kissed his (very cold) nose, and turned to the stove to check on the pot bubbling away.

“Benjamin Dunn, you are about to taste my Mom’s world famous hot chocolate.”

Benji perked up.

“World famous, eh? ‘S it spiked? Could use a hot toddy.”

Ethan gave him the side eye.

“It’s morning.”

“And I’m about to freeze my fucking balls off!”

“Well, we can’t have that, can we. I’m very fond of them.”

Obligingly, he poured a snickering Benji a hot mug of cocoa and slipped in a nip of whiskey before pouring some for himself.

“I hope you realize the alcohol will give you hypothermia faster.”

“ ‘S why you're here. Keep me warm.”

“So you’ve changed your mind about the blankets?”

“Hell no.”

They both paused and took long sips of the chocolate, letting the early morning light stream through the old kitchen. Ethan leaned against the counter, contentedly watching Benji sit on the island, sipping his slightly too fast, wincing at the burn on his tongue and determinedly taking another.

“Fuck, but that’s good.”

Ethan nodded, smiling.

“Warms you right up, then. What’s the secret?”

“Love.”

Benji scoffed.

“Alright then, keep your recipe.”

“You really wanna know what her secret was?”

“Sure,” Benji shrugged, quilt coming off one shoulder as he gulped down the last of it, chasing the rim with his tongue. Ethan refilled his cup.

“Read the directions on the side of the box real careful.”

Benji choked on his laughter, cocoa dribbling down the side of his chin as he cackled.

“That’s it?”

“That and a pinch of cinnamon. I told you it was world famous.”

“What, cos the whole world’s got the recipe?”

“Exactly.”

They both laughed quietly, enjoying the moment and the drink. Slowly the house started to warm, from the oven and from the wood fire. Almost unthinkingly Benji allowed the quilt to slip from his shoulders to crumple around his waist. Ethan fought off an internal laugh. Mission accomplished.

When he kissed him it tasted like chocolate, cinnamon, and love.


End file.
